Oar-operating mechanism



ay 16, 1933., F. R. JAEGER OAR OPERATING MECHANISM Filed April 27, 19322 Sheets-Sheet l 2% Km m May 16, F. R. JAEGER OAR DPERATING MECHANISMFiled April 27. 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 16, 1933 PATENTOFFICE FRIEDEMAN R. JAEGER, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS OAR-OPERATIN GMECHANISM 1 Application filedApril 27,

SMy present invention pertains to means for operating the oars of rowboats, and it aims to provide a simple and easily workable mechanism foractuating the oars while 5 the operator faces in the direction in whichthe boat travels, the improved and novel means including features whichpermit such person to feather the oars with facility.

So-called bow-facing. oars have hereto- 9 fore been suggested, but sofaras I am at present advised, no means have been supplied in suchappliances for allowing the oars to be feathered or turned or rockedabout their own axes during the rowing operation.

To permit those trained in this art to understand the invention fully,both from structural and functional points of view, in the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification, and to which referenceshould be had in connection with the following detailed description, apresent, preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated,and, for simplicity, like reference numerals have been employed todesignate the same parts throughout the several views. In these drawingsFigure 1 is a plan view of the novel and improved oar-actuating meansshowing the same attached to the gunwale of a boat;

Figure 2 is a vertical cross-section on line 22 of Figure 1 on anenlarged scale;

Figure'3 is a vertical section on the same enlarged scale, the viewbeing taken on line 33 of Figure 1;

g '3 Figure 4 is a horizontal section on line 4-4 of Figure 3 on asomewhat reduced scale; and

Figure 5 is a plan view of the mechanism showing the handle and oar infolded position over the boat gunwale.

Referring to these drawings, it will be noted and perceived that the newapparatus includes foreac-h oar, of which only one is shown in thedrawings, a base-plate adapted by means of screws 11, 11, to be attached4 to the top of the gunwale 9 of the row-boat;

Upstanding from such member 10 is a pair of aligned projections orstandards 12 and 13, the one characterized 12 having a conical bearing14 in its inner surface, the corre- 50 lated member 13 having ascrew-threaded 1932. Serial No. 607,704. 7

hole 15 therethrough in coaxial arrangement or disposition with thebearing 14.

Such threaded aperture accommodates an adjustable bearing-screw 16having a suitable head 17 at its outer end by means of which it may beeasily turned for effecting the desired adjustment and having aconicalbearing 18 in its other end.

Such pair of aligned bearings '14 and 18 rockingly receive theoutstanding, conical journals 19 and 20 of a saddlecasting 21 capable ofrocking transversely of the boat in such bearings to effect theelevation and gear-teeth 27 on its periphery, is mounted to rock or turnon such shank or stationary stud 23, and it has a pair of uprightbearingmembers 28 and 29 having the bearings 30 .and 31, respectively.

Bearlng 30 cooperates with a journal 32 at the end of a handle section36, and a skeleton casting 33 has an end journal portion 34 which ismounted to rotate in the companion bearing 31.

A shoulder of the part 33 is located at one.

side of the bearing-member 28, while a nut 35 on a threaded, protrudingend of the journal 32 bears against the opposite side of the member 28,thus assuring a proper maintenance of the assembled relation of theelements.

The interior of the taperedmember 33 is formed as a converging socketwhich receives the correspondingly-shaped end section 36 0f theoperating handle 37 which has secured to it by one or more screws 38 thehub 39 of a gear-sector 40, the teeth ofwhich are in mesh with the teeth42 on the top of an oscillatory member41 which also has other gear teeth43 on its edge.

Suchdouble-gear element 41 ton frame 44 apertured at its center to turnabout a hub on the part 24 coaXia'lly with its shank 23, the parts beingheld in assembled relation by a screw 45.

has a skelev i WVhen the handle is swung backwardly and forwardly, thegear segment 27 will be correspondingly oscillated about its axis, andwhen the handle is turned about its own axis, the gear member 41 will berocked.

All of these members 22 to 45, inclusive, except the handle-elements 36and 37, are duplicated at an adjacent portion of the casting 21, andsuch of them as show in the drawings have been supplied with referencenu-, merals 122 to 145, inclusive.

In this portion of the appliance, the shank or body 136 of the oar 137is fitted in the socket member 133.

As is clearly illustrated, the two gears 27 and 127 are in mesh, as arealso the pair of gears 43 and 143.

From what precedes, it will be clear that as the handle 37 is swungforwardly and rearwardly by the operator, the iuterfitting gears 27 and127 will cause the oar-blade to work correspondingly, which permits theoarsman to face the bow of the boat when rowing it forwardly.

7 By elevating or depressing the handle 37, due to the rocking ofsubstantially the whole structure on the bearings 19 and 20, the reverseaction will be performed by the oarblade 137.

When the oarsman wishes to feather the oars, he turns the handle 37about its own axis, which may take place while the handle is being movedsubstantially horizontally,

and the oar will be similarly rocked about its axis, due to the turningaction of the several gear sections 40, 42, 43, 143, 142, 140.

Thus it will be seen that the oarsman can handle the oars andfeatherthem with ease and facility, and that the apparatus can beoperated effectively to produce the desired results.

The parts 44 and 144 may be used severally or conj ointly as limitingstops in cooperation with the corresponding standards 29 and 129 againstwhich they are adapted to strike at either or both of their ends.

. Depending upon the angular position of the oar blade 137 in its socketin which relation it may be held by the locking o'r securing screw 138,this stop means may be employed to limit the feathering turning of theoar in both directions, or the blade may be stopped in its verticalposition and thus prevent undue rocking of the blade and its improper orinefficient position in the water.

These appliances are frequently used by novices or inexperienced personsunaccustomed to rowing, and, obviously, such stop means facilitates theproper operation of the ears.

The invention has been stated in the following claim, but it is to beborne in mind that the particular embodiment thereof herein presentedmay be'mo'dified within comparatively wide limits without departure fromthe heart and substance of such invention and without the loss orsacrifice of any of its material benefits.

I claim:

In an oar-operating mechanism for row boats, the combination of a baseadapted to be mounted on the boat, a support rockingly mounted on saidbase, a pair of intermeshing gears revolubly mounted on said support, asocket on each of said gears, an oar-blade mounted'to turn on its ownaxis in one of said sockets, an oar-handle mounted to turn on its ownaxis in the other of said sockets, a skeleton combined segmentalspur-gear and segmental bevel-gear mounted to rotate on said support, abevel-gear rotatable with said oai b lade and in mesh with saidsegmental bevel-gear, a second skeleton combined segmental spur-gear andsegmental bevel-gear mounted to rotate on said support with the twospur-gears in mesh, and a second bevelgear rotatable with saidoar-handle and in mesh with said second bevel-gear, the skeleton frameof at least one of said combined gears cooperating with thecorresponding socket to act as a stop to'limit the turning of saidhandle and oar-blade on their axes, said intermeshing gears permittingsaid handle to stroke said oar-blade, said cooperating spur-gears andbevel-gears permitting the oar-blade to be feathered by turning thehandle.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

FRIEDEMAN R. JAEGER.

